Christmas lunch wouldn’t feel the same without crackers and bonbons on the table.
The bang, the paper crown and the corny joke are all part of the ritual. The trouble is, most supermarket versions are wrapped in foil or glitter, filled with plastic toys, and can’t be recycled. They’re fun for five minutes, then they head straight to landfill.
Fortunately, you don’t have to ditch the tradition to cut the waste. A sustainable Christmas doesn’t mean giving up the fun — it just means choosing traditions that don’t leave as much waste behind.
How to Choose Sustainable Christmas Crackers
Look for:
- Crackers made from FSC-certified or recycled paper. Plain paper or kraft designs are best — they can usually be recycled or even composted. A good rule of thumb: if it feels like normal paper, it’s safe.
- Fillers that people will actually keep, like chocolate, seed packets, mini beauty products or stationery.
- Reusable options, like fabric crackers, that can be refilled and pulled out year after year.
Plastic-Free Christmas Crackers: What to Avoid
- Crackers with foil, glitter, or glossy coatings. These can’t go in the recycling bin because the paper fibres are mixed with plastic or metallic film. Even a small amount of glitter can contaminate a whole batch of recycling.
- Plastic toys or trinkets. They’re fun for a moment but usually head straight to landfill.
The Best Eco-Friendly Christmas Crackers in Australia
More Australian brands are now making crackers from recyclable paper, with compostable packaging and small gifts people actually keep. There are even DIY kits if you’d rather fill them yourself.
Here are some of the best eco-friendly Christmas crackers available in Australia.
Fill Your Own
For the clever crafty people or anyone who wants control over what’s inside, Etsy has a great range of makers offering DIY and fill-your-own kits.
Tuck in chocolate, a mini soap, or even a packet of seeds, and the cracker becomes a small, thoughtful gift instead of a throwaway trinket.
Just use our guide above to make sure what you choose can be recycled or composted afterwards.
The Conscious Cracker Co.
Based on the Sunshine Coast, The Conscious Cracker Co. makes bonbons that look the part but skip the waste.
Each cracker is 100% plastic-free, made from recyclable materials and filled with small, practical gifts you’ll actually want to keep.
For every box sold, they plant a native tree here in Australia — so your table tradition also helps grow new habitat.
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Kraft Pink Cockatoo Crackers
These kraft paper crackers are decorated with bright cockatoos and finished with hessian ties.
Inside, you’ll find the usual hat and joke, but the small gifts are wooden toys and kitchen utensils instead of landfill-bound plastic. Once you’ve pulled them, the cardboard and packaging can go straight into the compost (just remove the snap).
Christmas Cracker Warehouse — Eco Range
If you like a coordinated table, this range has recyclable or compostable crackers in different prints and colours.
They skip the glitter and foil but keep the festive look, so you don’t have to choose between style and sustainability.
Real Christmas Trees — Eco Crackers
Better known for their pines, Real Christmas Trees also sell a range of eco-friendly crackers in kraft and botanical prints.
They’re made from recyclable paper and packaging, giving you an easy way to keep the look of tradition without the waste.
Waste Free Celebrations (NZ, ships to Australia)
Waste Free Celebrations is all about keeping the colour and fun of Christmas while ditching the waste.
Their reusable fabric crackers come in an ever-changing mix of fabrics — from bright prints to classic checks — designed to be refilled and brought out year after year.
The range also includes reusable gift bags and furoshiki wraps, so you can carry the same low-waste spirit through all your holiday traditions.
DIY Crackers
If you’d rather control the waste — or you’re up for a festive project — check out our eco-friendly Christmas bonbon DIY.
They’re easy to personalise, a great activity to do with kids, and a way to turn the tradition into something you’ll enjoy making as much as pulling.
More Ways to Celebrate a Sustainable Christmas
Here are our other guides to an eco-friendly holiday season:
- 11 Clever Ways to Wrap Christmas Gifts Without All the Waste
- Sustainable Christmas Gifts 2025: Thoughtful, Low-Waste Ideas
- Alternative Christmas Trees: From Potted Natives to DIY Fairy Light Trees
- Plastic-Free DIY Christmas Decorations Anyone Can Make
- Sustainable Christmas Decorations: DIY & Store-Bought Ideas
